Wizoo Guide Nord Modular 3 Peter Gorges/Len Sasso Introduction Modular Sound Design Virtual Assembly Instructions Imprint Publisher Peter Gorges Authors Peter Gorges and Len Sasso All rights reserved. No part of this book and the Cd-Rom enclosed may be used, reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form or by any means without prior written permission of Wizoo. Making copies of any part of this book for any purpose other than your own personal use is a violation of copyright laws. This book is sold as is, without warranty of any kind, either express or im- plied. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information or instructions contained herein. It is further stated that the publisher and authors are not responsible for any damage or loss to your data or your equipment that results directly or indirectly from your use of this book. Second, completely revised edition © Copyright 2000 by Wizoo GmbH Bremen, Bundesrepublik Deutschland Printed in Germany Isbn 3-934903-05-3 Translation Tom Green Proofreading Peter Gorges Layout and typesetting Uwe Senkler, Hamburg Cover design design-box, Ravensburg Printed by Druckhaus E A Quensen GmbH, Lamspringe Trademark Acknowledgements All products mentioned in this book are either trademarks of the companies referenced in this book, registered trademarks of the companies in this book, or neither. We strongly advise that you investigate a particular product’s name thoroughly before you use the name as your own. Welcome! I have to admit that I’ve been a fan of the Clavia Nord Lead since this synthesizer debuted. That punchy sound, simple sound programming, cool, sleek design and the unique pitch toothpick made a true believer of me. For several years now I’ve been an avid admirer of mod- ular synthesizers, although from afar. Initially, I just couldn’t afford them and now in the 90’s they’re just too volatile and cumbersome for my taste. In October of 1997, I was given the opportunity to check out a pre-release prototype of the Modular in Stockholm. Love at first sight might be a bit over the top, but as a de- scription of the relationship between this synthesizer nut and that little red box, it comes pretty close to the truth. Now that I’ve spent months conjuring up sounds, beta- testing and exploring every aspect of the system, I’ve discov- ered that the Modular is one of the very few synthesizers I’ll actually play in my free time. At Wizoo we have a strict policy: We don’t publish books about synthesizers that we can’t recommend wholeheartedly. However, when a synthesizer is truly something special— when it has that ›certain something‹ that allows us to show you some of the truly exciting things it can do—our fun factor is substantially higher than when we are limited to demon- strating how to coax a couple of acceptable sounds out of me- diocre synth. In the case of the Modular we had a ball! It is one of the best synthesizers available. I sincerely hope that—after reading this book—you will agree with me. Peter Gorges Welcome to the Second Edition! When Peter asked me if I wanted to update the Wizoo guide to the Nord Modular, I gave it approximately three nanosec- onds of serious thought then shouted ›Yes‹ as loud as I could. And I can honestly say that the months I’ve spent with the Modular bringing this guide up to date have been the first time in many years that I haven’t regretted selling my old, hardware modular system. A lot has happened since the Nord Modular was intro- duced in 1997. For one thing there have been two major upgrades introducing new modules and new editor features. For another, it is now ›cross platform‹—there are versions for the Macintosh as well as the Pc. The Modular is a wonderful instrument that only gets bet- ter as time goes on. You can expect many years of pleasure as well as numerous musical surprises from it. Have fun— buy some ear plugs for the cat. Len Sasso Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 A Few Basics Synth History 101 11 Worth Knowing Modular Models 14 Unlimited Versatility? 15 What Can You Do without a Computer? 15 Patches and Models 16 What Distinguishes It from Other Analog Modular Systems? 17 2 Unpacking and Connecting the Modular Getting Started Expediently… 19 Optimizing Your Computer Monitor Setup 22 Installing the Editor Software 22 Installing Patch Examples 23 3 Around the Audio Examples 25 World in 80 Starting the Editor 26 Minutes … Loading a Patch 27 Naming Modules 28 Hiding and Showing Cables 28 The Four Signal Types in the Modular 29 Drawing Cables 31 Setting Parameters and Navigating 32 Selecting Parameters and Modules 34 Assigning Midi Controllers 35 Assigning Real-time Knobs 35 7 Table of Contents Working with Modules 38 Add a Sequencer 40 Copying Modules 44 Two or More Patches 44 Audio Processing 47 4 Designing a Our Objective 49 Synthesizer ›Pouring the Foundation‹ 50 Adding a Second Oscillator 51 Adding a Filter 52 Panning 53 Installing a Modulation Mixer 53 Installing Lfos 54 5 The Modules Oscillators 63 Lfos 67 Envelopes 70 Filters 73 In/Out 81 Audio Mod 81 Control Modifiers 87 Logic Modules 90 Summary 93 6 Advanced Morphing 95 Features Programming Drumkits 100 The Modular as a High-end Signal Processor 102 Noise Gate 105 Building and Programming Sequencers 106 8 Table of Contents 7 The Modular as Synth and Patch Settings 115 a Performance Programming Keyboard and Velocity Synth Zones 116 Programming Performances Externally 118 Controlling Sound Parameters Remotely by Midi 119 8 Analyzing Additive Synthesis 121 Patches… Fm Operators 124 Enhanced Dx 125 Drawbar Organ with Leslie 127 Mini Lead Synth 132 Nord Lead 3 133 9 Faq and Help Wizoo Online Support 139 No Sound 141 Level Problems 142 Questions Regarding Dsp and Voices 143 Clock Problems 145 Tuning Problems 145 Editor-induced Headaches 146 10 Tips and Tricks Breaking with Conventions 147 Shortcuts 148 Poly and Mono 151 Phaser/Flanger/Chorus 152 Conserving Dsp Power 152 More Insight, Less Clutter 155 Assigning and Labeling Knobs 156 Storing and Managing Patches 158 9 Table of Contents Appendix Cd-Rom Table of Contents 161 Glossary 164 Knob Table 169 Nord Controller Table 170 Index Differences Between the Macintosh and Pc Editors There are few differences between the two versions other than the visual appearance of the editors. When there is a significant difference, we will point it out in the text. One dif- ference which we will not repeatedly point out is that there is no ›right mouse‹ button on the Macintosh. Tasks which call for this button on the Pc can be accomplished on the Macin- tosh by holding ç while clicking the mouse button. (Tip: if you have a multi-button mouse, configure one of the buttons for this combo.) Another difference is that ç key on the Pc corresponds to the C key on the Macintosh except when making multiple selections in which case use the ‚. 10 Synth History 101 1 A Few Basics Worth Knowing We’re not going to delve into an in-depth history of modular synthesizers, but there are a few basics you should be aware of and a couple of helpful as well as interesting facts on the Modular that are well worth knowing. Synth History 101 Robert Moog unveiled the first synthesizer prototype in August of 1964. (This was before Peter’s time, but I can tell you the immediate response was—well, things have advanced a bit since then.) With the advantage of hindsight, we can certainly say Rob- ert Moog set a standard that prevails to this day and is reflected in synthesizers such as the Modular: Modular design and voltage control (Vc) of parameters. Riesiger Modularsynth Foto von keyboardS7 An early predecessor (in spirit) to the Modular 11 Chapter 1 A Few Basics Worth Knowing Back in the good old days, sound was generated exclusively by a modular system—the oscillator (Vco) generated the ini- tial wave, the filter (Vcf) shaped the sound of the wave and the amplifier (Vca) controlled its gain and volume. Of course there had to be some method of controlling all these sonic events. The most significant element was the key- board, which supplied the trigger, a kind of trigger-and-hold voltage called a gate and a control voltage. These very basic features were the tools used to determine the pitch and to switch a note off and on. Envelopes and Lfos opened up a wider range of options, the former for generating time-based events and the latter for periodic modulation. Footpedals and wheels also added voltage for direct, real-time sound shaping. All of the early synthesizers were designed along these lines. They were also modular, i.e. they consisted of hard- ware modules with input and output jacks for routing audio, voltage control and gate signals by external cables. Modular synthesizers were noted for their extreme char- acteristics: extremely versatile, extremely large, extremely expensive and extremely volatile. The market for these behemoths was understandably lim- ited and soon the demand for smaller, easy-to-transport-and- handle devices was met with the first wave of compact syn- thesizers. The Minimoog was by far the most popular of these and remains so to this day.